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Springfield tour to stop at future sites of senior and community centers

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The Springfield Park Commission is touring various parks this week including Blunt Park, the site of a proposed new senior center. Plans for the new senior center are shown above.
(File photo / The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD – The public is invited to take part in a tour of some local parks and the former Liberty Street library on Wednesday to learn the latest on plans for major projects including two new senior centers.

The five-member Park Commission is meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Forest Park administration building to travel by van to the various sites across Springfield. The commission has a list of scheduled arrival times at each site for any residents interested in attending.

The tour is taking place to fully update the commission and public on the projects at the parks and other city properties, said Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s director of parks, buildings and recreation management, who is leading the tour.

“There is going to be major construction and renovation projects at the locations we are going to be touring,” Sullivan said.

At 9:15 a.m., the Park Commission is scheduled to view the Lower Van Horn Pond Dam, as it continues to pursue grant money for improvements to the earthen dam area to reduce the threat of flooding. The dam is within Van Horn Park, off Cunningham Street

At 9:45 a.m., commission is schedule to arrive at the former Liberty Street Branch library, to view nearly completed renovations for a new use – the Hungry Hill Senior Center – and to hear the final plans for improvements to the new Mary Troy Park, Sullivan said.

Work crews from the Parks department and Hampden County Sheriff's Department are approximately 90 percent done with renovations to the former library needed for the neighborhood senior center, Sullivan said. The senior center is moving from the Raymond Sullivan Public Safety Center.

At 10:15 a.m., the van is scheduled to arrive at Blunt Park to see the site for the new primary senior center that has an estimated cost of $9 million to $10 million.

At 10:45 a.m., the commission is scheduled to stop at Emerson Wight Park to see the location for a planned new South End Community Center, estimated to cost $7 million to $8 million.

City officials said they have approval to use federal disaster funds for the 2011 tornado for the cost of the major projects at Blunt Park and Emerson Wight Park.

At 11:15 a.m., the commission is scheduled to return to Forest Park to conclude its meeting.